by Alexa Riley
“As long as I don’t have to dress like a hooker, it’s perfect,” I tell her, making her laugh.
“I say keep it simple on the outfit.” Tabby walks over to her bed, where she’s laid a few things out.
“This.” She picks up a dark green dress. It has short sleeves and molds tight at the bust. It flares at the waist, stopping a few inches above my knees.
“I can’t wear that. I’ll have to wear heels.” That’s the reason that dress has been in my closet—unworn—forever.
“Yep. I’ve seen you in heels. You’re a walking accident waiting to happen. So heels it is.” She picks up a pair of black heels and holds them next to the dress.
I get up from my chair, take them from her, and start to get dressed, knowing we have to be downstairs soon. She starts doing the same and finds something to wear.
When I turn around I see her standing there in a tight red dress that molds to her curves, making her golden skin look like it’s glowing. Red has always been Tabby’s color—her dark hair and red seem to go together. We could never share closets. Tabby has hourglass curves whereas I can barely fill anything out. I’m just built small. My giant husband is going to break me.
“Wait, are you trying to get his attention so he’ll marry you? I thought we were scaring him off.” I feel a little panicked and I don’t know why, but the idea of my sister ending up with him is one I don’t like.
“Whatever you want.” She looks at me like she’s confused. Her outfit is what she would normally wear. Tabby always dresses up and looks nice.
“Girls.” I hear my mom calling us right before the door opens. “Let’s go.” She gives us a glance before she turns and heads out of the room, a glass full of wine in hand, like always.
I slip the shoes on and almost fall over but catch myself before it happens. It makes Tabby giggle, and I snort. Maybe we don’t have to try to be weird.
“Come on.” Tabby locks her arm with mine and we make our way towards the great room. I can’t help but wonder if they are already here.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper. “I’m so shy I don’t know if I can make a fool of myself.”
“I’ll be right here. We’ve got this.” I look up at her and nod. When we turn the corner, I freeze, and everyone turns to look at us. I drop my eyes to the floor, feeling warmth spread on my face.
I hear Tabby whisper, “Holy fuck,” next to me, so low only I can hear it. I look over at her and follow her line of sight. She’s staring at a man standing with his arms folded over his chest. He has dark hair and deep green eyes. He’s got a smirk on his face that shows off a dimple. And his eyes are on Tabby, which is normal. Most men’s eyes go straight to her.
Roman steps in front of the man, blocking my view of him. His eyes are trained on me. His face looks hard and angry. His nostrils flare, and I take a step back, and then another. He’s wearing a black suit, and I wonder if this man has something against color. He starts moving toward me as I keep backing up. I feel like a squirrel caught in the road, and I don’t know which way to go, so I just keep moving backwards.
“Sweetheart, this is King Roman,” I hear my mother say. I can’t pull my eyes away from him.
Suddenly, my heel catches on the rug under me, and I’m falling backwards. I’m tripping over my own feet as I try to stop myself, but the heels are already winning. Before I can make contact with the ground, Roman catches me. He pulls me into his arms, and my breath gets caught in my throat. His warmth wraps around me, and his rich smell of sage fills my lungs. I’m lost for a moment in a cloud of surprise and lust as he stares down at me, saying nothing.
“Hi,” I finally manage to get past my lips. It comes out high-pitched and awkward, and Tabby snorts. It’s loud enough to shake me out of the moment, and I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “Tabby,” I say, my eyes still locked with Roman’s. “I think our plan is working.”
His eyes narrow at me, yet he still doesn’t speak. The only response he gives is a hard look.
“You can’t say that out loud. He can hear you,” Tabby says admonishingly.
Yeah, this guy does not look like he wants anything to do with me. After another moment, he places me on my feet but doesn’t let me go. I didn’t realize when he pulled my body into his that my feet were dangling off the floor. I’m not sure I want to stand now, because being this close, he’s really towering over me.
“Roman,” I hear a man say, and I guess it’s the man who was with him, because I don’t recognize his voice. “I think she’s good.”
As if realizing I’m still wrapped in his arms, he drops them away but doesn’t step back.
“Tabby?”
“No, I’m Alena.” My heart jumps into my throat. Oh my God, he doesn’t know who I am. Maybe it really is my sister he wants to marry and our names got switched or something. That’s it. It has to be it, because I don’t even think we can physically fit together. My face heats as I think about the two of us trying to make that work.
“I know who you are, my princess.” He looks over at my sister, taking his eyes off me for the first time. “Tabitha.” He says her full name this time. “Can you take my princess to her room to remove these ridiculous shoes before she hurts herself?”
“Hey, she isn’t my servant,” I tell him, finding my voice. Well, some of it.
“I help Alena with stuff all the time.” I frown as Tabby throws in that random comment.
“Then help her remove the layer of what’s painted on her face as well.”
I take a step back from him. He’s a bossy jerk. A handsome bossy jerk, but still.
“Alena. Do as you’re told,” my mother half-whispers, half-scolds.
Roman turns to look at my mother. She looks mad, and I know she’s going to yell at Tabby and me later.
“You don’t give her orders. She will be Queen in one week’s time. She doesn’t take orders.” Roman’s voice is stern and final. He just gave her a command, and it will be followed.
“Except from you, I guess,” I mumble, looking down at the floor and taking another step back.
“All your whispers are too loud. Keep them in your head,” Tabby says from the side of her mouth.
“Alena.”
I draw my eyes back to Roman when I hear him say my name. His mouth is pulled to one side, and I almost think he might be smiling.
“Please.” The one word comes from his lips, and it feels like it’s foreign to him.
I grab Tabby’s hand, thankful that I get to have a moment away from him to get myself together. But somehow I don’t think a moment is going to be long enough.
4
Roman
“Are you not a fan of roasted lamb, Your Highness?”
I turn my attention to Alena’s mother and smile politely. “The meal is delicious, thank you. Lamb is one of my favorites.”
I look down at my plate, realizing I haven’t touched any of my food. I’ve been staring at Alena since she walked into the room, and I’ve been unable to think of anything else. She removed some of the make-up on her face, and her delicate skin is so pink. She also took off those utterly ridiculous shoes and replaced them with flats.
Looking down at Alena’s plate, I realize that she hasn’t touched much of her food either.
“Is my princess not hungry?”
Her soft blue eyes meet mine, and she bites her bottom lip. The dent on the juicy flesh from her straight white teeth makes the blood in my veins heat. She’s so tiny and small that I would be heavy on top of her. I could crush her with my size. I’ll need to be gentle with her. So very gentle.
I grip the table to keep from rubbing my lengthening cock under the table. I’m a goddamn king, yet I can’t seem to control myself when I’m only feet from her. I want to slip my hand under the table and across to her. I want to push her silky legs apart and see if there is wetness waiting on me, to see if she’s affected by me at all.
“I must admit I’m nervous,” she says to the hands in h
er lap. She looks over at her sister and then up to me again.
Unable to take the distance anymore, I stand up and walk around to her side of the table. She stares up at me in shock as the table goes quiet.
“Join me for a walk, my princess,” I say, holding out my hand. It’s not a request, but I wait for her to comply.
She looks around the table, panicked for a moment, and her mother rises as well, as if to force her to get up. Alena takes my hand instantly but looks to her sister.
“I think it might be tradition for my sister to walk with us.” She stares hard at Tabby, who quickly stands and agrees.
“Yes, I believe that’s the custom. So you and the bride-to-be aren’t alone before your wedding night,” Tabby rushes to say.
“Vlad,” I say, and he’s at my side faster than I expected.
“I will escort Princess Tabitha from a short distance,” he agrees.
I take Alena’s hand and slip it into the crook of my arm, leading her out onto the terrace and into the gardens beyond.
“Is there somewhere private we can go?” I ask, taking long strides away from the onlookers behind us.
“There’s a small fountain beyond the line of trees,” Alena offers, and I take it. “But can you please slow down? I think my legs might be a third the size of yours.”
I pause, and she comes to a stop beside me. “I apologize, my princess. I can carry you.” I lean down to make the move, but she holds out both her palms to stop me. I hear a snort behind us and see Tabby cover her mouth. It’s then I remember we won’t be entirely alone. “Yes, forgive me. I will take smaller steps.”
I try my best to go slow, but it’s difficult. Once we reach the space beyond the trees, I look back and nod at Vlad. He pauses on the edge, and I see him lead Tabby off to the side. I take Alena over to the fountain and sit on the edge.
“Please, join me, my princess.”
The moon is out, bathing her in a soft glow. I want to run my lips across every exposed inch to see if she has the same softness everywhere. She sits down beside me, and I turn my body to face her.
“I know that this arrangement is a dated tradition. But there are some traditions I believe need to be upheld.”
“I knew this day would come. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.” She stares at her lap the whole time she speaks, so I reach out and touch her chin, making her look at me.
“There is never a time too soon for love, my princess.” I run my thumb on her bottom lip, and I have to bite back a groan. It’s softer than fine silk, and it only further ignites my desires.
But she isn’t pleased with my words and leans away from me. “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’m not used to lines like that.”
It’s an insult and a jab at my intentions. I don’t like that she pulled away from me, and I lean forward, trying to close the distance.
“It’s not a line. I’m genuine in the way I speak to you.”
She lets out a quick breath as if she’s angry. “That much is clear with the way you say ‘my princess.’”
“You are mine,” I say, standing up and looking down at her. “And you’ll watch your tongue when you’re addressing me.”
She stands up, too, and the quiet mood has shifted to one of defiance. Her face hardly comes up to my chest, and she has to tilt her head back to look at me. But there is so much fire in her eyes now that I want her a thousand times more than I did just three seconds ago. It’s almost an impossibility, but my need is skyrocketing with her anger.
“Maybe you should rethink who you’re picking to address you, then. I’m sure there is a line of princesses who would be happy to kiss your royal ass.”
She covers her mouth with her hands as if she can’t believe she spoke to me that way. And to be honest, neither can I. I don’t remember a time when someone shot off their mouth at me, and fuck if I’m not wanting more of that sass.
I lean down so that my nose is only inches from hers. My smile turns wicked, and she takes a small step back before she hits the edge of the fountain and has no place to go.
“I think I made exactly the right choice.” Her mouth forms an angry line, and I wish I could kiss it into submission. I move my mouth to her throat, so close my breath hits the delicate skin below her ear. “One week, Alena. One week and you’ll be under me.”
I straighten up and take a step back just as Tabitha appears out from the row of trees. Her face is red, and she pushes a strand of hair out of her eyes as she hurries over.
“I think my time is up,” I say, looking back to Alena. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are slightly parted. I can’t help but wonder what her tongue would taste like with the words she wants to spit at me on the edge of it. “Goodnight, my princess.”
As I walk away, I feel Vlad come up behind me. He matches my steps as I walk around to the front of the house.
“You should bring the sister with Alena when she comes to the palace. It’s tradition for her to bring someone,” Vlad says as my mother says her goodbyes to Alena’s mother and we get into the limo.
“It’s done,” I say, wanting to give Alena anything to make her happy.
As we pull away from the curb and I stare out the window, I swear I feel a pair of soft blue eyes watching me.
5
Alena
Tabby practically drags me away from where I’m standing. She doesn’t even give me time to think about what’s happened. The swirl of emotions is still bouncing around my body. By the time we make it back to my bedroom, I have no idea if I’m breathing heavy from practically running here or from the things Roman said to me.
Tabby throws herself on the bed, and it’s then I realize her face is lit up with a smile. I go to the window and pull the drapes back, unable to stop myself from watching Roman pull away. I should be happy his cocky ass is leaving, but something doesn’t feel right about it.
“He said I can come, Al!” When I turn around, Tabby is jumping on the bed like we did when we were kids. Her long dark hair is bouncing all around her. “I’m coming with you!”
She keeps jumping, but it takes a second for me to understand.
“But how?” I take a step toward her, wanting it to be true. She stops jumping, but her giant smile remains in place.
“Got the big guy to say he’d get your king to do it.”
The words your king do something funny to me, but I push that away, not wanting to focus on it right now.
“Tabby!” I half-scream at her because she won’t spit it out.
She wiggles her eyebrows. “He tried to kiss me.”
“What?” I say too loudly, then throw my hand over my mouth.
She nods. “Oh yeah. He grabbed me and pulled me into him and said he was taking my mouth,” she says in a dreamy voice, and I’m confused. It’s a voice I’ve never heard her use before. This is getting weird.
“But before he could kiss me, I kicked him in the shin.”
“Oh. My. God. You kicked a royal guard?” I don’t even have any other words. Who does that? Right. My sister. Of course that’s who. I guess I did kind of yell at a king tonight, too. Crap. “What did he do?”
“He laughed and told me I was only turning him on. And he was going to spank me. Then he kissed me anyway.”
I stand there with no response. I’m completely shocked, but Tabby looks like she’s going to combust with excitement.
She jumps off the bed and runs to me. “I told him he could kiss me if he gave me something.” My eyes widen in shock. “He told me he’d give me anything I wanted.”
“And?” It’s like pulling teeth.
“I said I wanted to come with you, and he said it was done.” Her eyes go all dreamy as if it was as easy as that. “Then he kissed me. Like, crazy kissed me.” She starts jumping up and down while holding my hands, and I laugh at how goofy she’s being. I know we are always a little goofy, but this feels different.
“Then what happened?” I want to know everything.
She licks her
lips, and her cheeks go a little red. “He smacked my ass and said that I better get back to you. Or he’d take me right there on the ground.”
“You seem really happy about that.” I knew Tabby was into the whole caveman thing, but I never really thought she would go for it if it actually happened to her.
She sighs and falls back dramatically on the bed. “It was incredible, Al. Like everything I ever wanted. No manners and rules. He wanted me and just took me. No care for anything else. It was like he didn’t even care how much trouble we both could get in.”
I bite my lip, looking back to the window and thinking about Roman. He made me so mad one second, then made me feel other things the next. I still can’t believe I snapped at him. I couldn’t help myself. I may have to marry him, but I won’t let him push me around. Somehow, though, that seemed to backfire. I think he liked me talking back to him. Something lit up in those dark eyes of his, and something lit up in me seeing it there.
“Al, we get to be together.”
I turn to look at her, hoping what she’s saying is true. I see the hope in her eyes, too. I’m not sure how much pull this guy really has, but I know one thing’s for sure. I’m going to ask Roman. Maybe I can do like Tabby. Negotiate with a kiss. The thought makes my cheeks warm. They get even hotter when I think about how he said I’d be under him in a week—something that both excited and scared the crap out of me.
“I knew you would make it happen,” I confirm, making her smile get even bigger.
“How’d it go?” She slides to the side of the bed, swinging her legs back and forth.
“It was okay.”
“Okay? That’s all you’ve got?”
“I don’t know. He’s so intense. Sometimes I think he doesn’t even like me. Then other times I feel like he wants to eat me whole.”
“I’m thinking he’s into you,” Tabby says immediately. “He couldn’t stop looking at you. He got asked multiple questions and didn’t even answer them because he didn’t know people were talking to him. He was too busy staring holes into you.”